A Change of Plans
by accio-oliverwood
Summary: When Hermione is being tortured by Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor, Draco has an epiphany. Is he really on the right side of the war?
1. Prologue

When approaching the Malfoy Manor, you may first become overwhelmed by the elaborate gardens, the fountains on each side of the manor, or the admirable amount of peacocks found on the front lawn - but don't let that distract you. As you arrive at the towering, old fashioned door and enter the manor itself, you'll find something much more enticing.

While walking down the lustrous hallway filled with portraits of previous residents of the manor, you'll be attracted to a bronze-handled door leading to the drawing room. If you look inside, you'll see dark purple walls and a large crystal chandelier. Underneath that chandelier is a woman with wild, black hair that matches her attire and eyes filled to the brim with bloodlust, standing over a petite girl with frizzy brown hair who is screaming in agony; a haggard looking man with shoulder length, platinum blonde hair, clutching the hand of a woman who shares the face of the woman in black, save for the blonde in her hair; and a tall, frightened boy about the age of seventeen who appears to be attempting to escape - at least in his mind - the scene in front of him.

Although the Malfoy Manor appears to be amazing in both size and and appearance, there is a dark undertone that cannot be ignored. Terrible things are happening in this house - things that may cause one of the members of the family to give up, turn on their origins, and fight - fight for something that all previous logic has taught him was wrong. He will fight against the Dark Lord's inescapable power.


	2. Heroic Mishaps

Draco tried to pretend that this was all a figment of his imagination - Granger writhing in pain on the floor in his own home, his aunt using the cruciatus curse on her repeatedly, fearful of spilling her dirty blood upon the wood - but Hermione's scream shattered the illusion, chilling him to the bone.

He had never wanted it to turn out like this. He never wanted to experience the war firsthand again - not since that night on the astronomy tower. But his father's direct involvement in the plans of the Dark Lord had lead him to another front row seat to torture, and quite possibly, death.

He continued to avert his gaze from Granger, afraid to see her body finally give out on her. He knew one thing for certain, however; her mind never would.

Throughout his entire time knowing her, she had the strongest mind out of anyone he ever encountered. Not only in intelligence - although, she was as smart as Merlin himself - but in stubbornness. If anyone could out do him in that category, it was Granger. She never gave up, no matter how hard the task. Even now, being tortured relentlessly, she continued to refuse Bellatrix the answer she asked for. Granger kept her mouth shut, omitting the screams, and didn't tell Bellatrix one drop of information.

Hell, the girl had guts. Guts that he never had, and was currently wishing for.

He had to admire her for that.

Draco heard another loud cackle from his Aunt, snapping his attention back to the matter at hand.

"One last chance, Mudblood," Bellatrix growled, twirling her wand in her hand as she stalked her injured prey.

"Never." Hermione's voice rang out clearly, despite the torture she had endured.

"Have it your way, then. Avada -"

At that moment, Hermione's eyes connected with Draco's. Her large, golden brown orbs stared into his soul. Not with hatred, as was expected, but with something he never saw in his parent's eyes - belief.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted, wand pointed at his aunt. Her wand flew from her hand and clattered to the floor across the room.

There was a collective gasp from his mother, father, and aunt.

"Draco, how dare you!" Bellatrix snarled, stepping towards him.

"Don't move. Don't fucking move." He demanded, wand pointed at Bellatrix. His mind was reeling as Granger stared at him from the floor, wide-eyed and hopeful.

"Draco, darling. What are you doing?" His mother asked calmly, hand balled up into a fist - whether from stress or anger, Draco could not tell.

The question puzzled him.

What was he doing? This was Granger. Granger, the girl he spent his entire Hogwarts career torturing for the lack of purity in her blood. He spent every waking moment attempting to think of new ways to make fun of her; be it by calling her mudblood, hexing her with her back turned, or just being flat out cruel about her appearance.

"Draco," Hermione called out, looking directly at him.

He shook himself internally and took long strides to stand in front of Granger.

"What the hell are you doing, son?" His father called out, pulling out his wand.

"Doing what's right." I think. He corrected in his mind.

"You think you can simply turn your back on your family? For a mudblood? I will not be dishonored in such a way!" Lucius snarled, pulling out his wand and pointing it directly at Draco.

A burst of red light shot from Draco's wand as he stupefied his Aunt, who was reaching for her wand. She tumbled to the floor, inches from the object of her attention.

A string of curses were shot at Draco as he turned back to his father, and he swiftly reflected them with silent protection charms.

"Hermione, grab Bellatrix's wand and head outside. Go. Now!" He called out, dueling his mother and father.

Hermione stumbled to her feet, grabbed the wand, but instead of leaving the house, pointed the unfamiliar wand at his parents and began assisting him in the duel.

Draco snarled in frustration and glared at Hermione, annoyed that she didn't do as he said.

'Did I honestly admire her goddamn stubbornness a few moments ago?' He asked himself.

But as he looked back over, he saw how she was trembling from the remnants of the curses she endured. Despite all the pain she encountered, she still stood up - even if she was slightly hunched over in pain - and fought.

A curse was shot directly at Draco's head and he swore under his breath as he jumped out of the way. He needed to focus if he was going to get out of his own home alive.

"Stupefy!" Hermione shouted, causing Draco's father to topple over, paralyzed.

Draco's eyes widened in shock, giving his mother the opportunity to send a curse that hit him square in the chest.

His head exploded with pain as his skin ruptured, bringing him to his knees. He felt the warmth of his blood begin to cover his entire chest, his shirt in tatters.

He completely forgot about the duel, Hermione, and his surroundings.

He only thought about his own death.

**A/N: **Hope that was long enough for you. The next chapter will be over Hermione's thoughts, so be prepared. :)

Comments/reviews appreciated!

-Lexie


	3. An Unwilling Savior

Time seemed to be moving painfully slow for Hermione. It felt like she had been paralyzed beneath the towering image of Bellatrix for days, months, years; In reality, it had only been a few hours.

Her throat was raw from the screams that couldn't be concealed no matter how hard she tried; her bones were not only aching, but burning as if someone had set her body on fire, simply to watch her incinerate for the hell of it; her skin was bruise, even though not a single person had laid a hand on her since she was forced into the drawing room. Simply put, she was in pain. A lot of it. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

That's what traveled through her mind constantly.

She was helpless.

She was alone.

She was going to be tortured to death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Even though she knew there was a possibility of this happening throughout her entire journey with Harry and Ron, she never believed that it would really happen to her. She couldn't believed that she had been captured while the other two had gotten away. They had simply left her behind, running off when the snatchers had found the tent they had been staying in. She thought the trio to truly be golden - that nothing could touch them. She finally understood the phrase "nothing golden ever stays."

It was hard being in this house, knowing of all the torture that's occurred here before hers. She could only imagine the other witches and wizards - perhaps purebloods and muggleborns alike - that were tortured in the exact same spot, the exact same way. Bile rose up in her throat at the thought.

It was also difficult having an audience. Being weak in front of one person is one thing, but having an audience view her pain and suffering? That was Hermione's own personal hell.

She glanced around the room while Bellatrix boasted over her pureblooded idealisms. The room was decorated superbly, as expected of a Malfoy. Not a speck of dust anywhere, nor did anything seem out of place.

Other than Draco, that is.

She could see Draco trembling in the corner, slightly away from his parents as if he didn't want to be close to them. Close to anything going on in the room. She noticed how he'd glance at her, then swiftly avert his gaze to either the floor or the ceiling.

Others would think Draco to be apart of the main act - that he'd want to be apart of the torturing, the killing. But she knew better.

She knew what had happened that dreaded night on the astronomy tower. She knew how he didn't kill Dumbledore, how he never wanted to be involved in the same thing his parents were.

But there was no escape for him. She knew that.

She believed that was why he remained in the room - however far away from the action - instead of fleeing from the scene immediately.

Bellatrix's voice rose as she reached the end of her repetitive speech, bringing Hermione's gaze back to the malice filled eyes of the predator before her.

"This is your last chance, Mudblood," she snarled.

"Never." She managed to say clearly. If there was one thing she'd never do, it would be telling Bellatrix where the real sword of Gryffindor was located.

"Have it your way, then. Avada -"

Instead of closing her eyes and waiting for the pain to wash over her, she felt the eyes of someone on her. She looked over and her eyes connected with Draco's.

His grey eyes held something that wouldn't be expected of a Malfoy - malice, anger, nor hatred - but sympathy and regret.

Just as Hermione had a sudden surge of hope, she heard Draco shout.

"Expelliarmus!"

Bellatrix's wand flew from her hand and landed across the room.

A fleeting expression of shock crossed Bellatrix's face, then was steeled over by pure anger. A collective gasp sounded around the room.

Hermione released the breath she was holding.

"Draco, how dare you!" Bellatrix shrieked, turning from Hermione and focusing on Draco.

"Don't move. Don't fucking move." He choked out, wand pointed at Bellatrix. Hermione stared curiously at Draco, shocked that he helped, but mainly hopeful that he'd continue to do so.

"Draco, darling. What are you doing?" His mom called out, slowly approaching him in step with her sister.

A look of confusion enveloped Draco's face as he fell silent.

Hermione started to panic. What if Draco reverted back to the prat he was in Hogwarts? He could easily turn on her to do what he felt was right for his family, and she couldn't do anything about it without her strength or her wand. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"Draco," Hermione said, grabbing his attention and thoroughly shaking him out of his thoughts.

He took a few long steps until he stood in front of her.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the same reaction of everyone else in the room.

"What the hell are you doing, son?" Lucius Malfoy bellowed, reaching into his robes and brandishing his wand.

"Doing what's right." Draco stated with determination.

"You think you can simply turn your back on your family? For a mudblood? I will not be dishonored in such a way!"

As Lucius said those words, Hermione noticed Bellatrix inching towards her wand while Draco was distracted. She swore in her mind, trying to gather up the strength to attack her.

A burst of red light shot across the room at Bellatrix and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Just then, Lucius and Narcissa fired curses at Draco.

Draco turned swiftly, reflecting them with protection charms, and continued on with the duel.

"Hermione, grab Bellatrix's wand and head outside. Go. Now!"

Hermione didn't waste any time.

She got to her feet as swiftly as she can, attempting to ignore the screaming pain running through her body.

Grabbing the wand, she turned and ran -

Directly to Draco's side, surpassing the door leading to the gardens.

She couldn't leave Draco after he just attempted to help her. She'd be damned if she let anything happen to him.

Draco snarled in frustration and growled obscenities under his breath whilst glaring at Hermione.

She struggled to stand straight as he looked at her, hoping he wouldn't notice how difficult it was for her to even remain conscious at this point in time.

Did he see how she trembled?

Did he notice how she had to bite her lip to keep herself from calling out in agony?

More curses were shot at Draco, sufficiently ending their thoughts and bringing their concentration back to the matter at hand.

His parents.

It amazed her how swiftly his parents turned on him. One second they were loving, the next they were battling him to the death over a simple muggleborn.

At that moment, she noticed Lucius planning to hit Draco while he was dueling his mother. She noticed his lips forming the killing curse. She had to act quickly.

"Stupefy!" She rang out with confidence, glad she joined Dumbledore's Army some years ago.

Lucius toppled to the ground.

Hermione glanced over at Draco, a triumphant grin on her face, expecting to see the same being returned to her.

Instead, she found complete and utter shock.

She heard a distant "Sectumsempra" and a flash of light hitting Draco directly in his chest.

He called out in pain and collapsed to his knees, blood pouring profusely from his chest, his shirt in tatters.

Hermione's mind was momentarily engulfed with panic.

Would he live? Could she manage to get him out of here?

"It's a shame this had to happen, really," Narcissa said conversationally, advancing towards Hermione, "but a pureblood always knows that helping a mudblood leads to the ultimate punishment." The darkness of the room caused shadows to form over her face, making her look more of a monster than human.

"And what is that? Death? For resembling a human being?" Hermione said, disgust filling her voice.

"Well, a mudblood is less than a human. They're scum. It seems my son is at level with you, now."

Hermione's body began trembling with something other than pain.

Rage.

She now understood why Draco was so terrible to her in school, and it wasn't due to his own opinions.

It was due to what was beat into him as a child - Pureblood supremacy.

She couldn't bear to look at Narcissa any longer.

Just as Narcissa went to cast another curse directed towards Hermione, Hermione called out "reducto," sending Narcissa flying across the room into a distant pillar, knocking her unconscious.

Hermione didn't waste any time.

She rushed over to Draco, falling to the floor in front of him.

"Draco? Draco?" she grabbed his face, attempting to get him to look at her.

His eyes fluttered open momentarily and he gazed into her eyes.

She reached into her magically inhanced bag, fumbling for anything to help him heal.

"Accio dittany!" Hermione said, pointing into the bag.

Essence of Dittany zoomed into her hand and she uncorked it with unsteady hands.

She poured bits of it into each wound, wincing as she viewed how horribly he was injured.

As the slices sealed before her eyes, she let out a breath that she didn't realize she had been holding.

"We have to get out of here, Draco," She said hurriedly, "They could wake up any moment, and I don't want to be around when they do."

He nodded and slowly attempted to stand up, Hermione acting as his crutch.

It took several minutes for him to manage to stand up fully, and Hermione was thankful that he finally managed to.

Her body was crying out in pain as well, but she didn't make it known to him.

She didn't want to be the one with the weaknesses, not when Draco was in a much worse shape than she was.

"I'm ready to apparate," Draco stated clearly, raising his chin. His Malfoy pride was slowly returning to him, she noticed, and she held back a roll of her eyes.

"Not by yourself, you're not." Hermione said with determination. He could easily end up splinching himself when he's in this state, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

"Fine." He snapped, gritting his teeth.

Hermione held back an eye roll as he struggled free of her grasp, limping slowly towards the gardens to an apparation point. She didn't bother considering not following him at this point; she was simply exhausted and each movement was causing her body to groan in pain.

She straightened her back and matched Malfoy's stride step-for-step, watching carefully to see if he may fall or falter, but it didn't happen once.

"Alright, Granger," Malfoy snarled, "Get us the hell out of this place."

He begrudgingly clutched onto her arm as they twisted on the spot and felt the familiar tug on their navel, promptly vanishing from the Malfoy Manor.


End file.
